CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Urban Meyer thought he could get away with it. Give starting left tackle Jack Mewhort and his hyper-extended knee some early work, get a lead and then give a break to the guy Meyer called Ohio State's "best offensive player.”

Mewhort was there for the celebration to catch a leaping Philly Brown in his arms as Brown’s 11-yard touchdown catch gave the Buckeyes four-touchdown lead early in the second quarter against Illinois on Saturday.

And then Mewhort left, a nod to the knee injury Meyer said he suffered in pass protection at practice on Wednesday. Meyer after the game made it sound like Mewhort sitting out the whole game had been considered.

So the senior captain went to the sidelines with an ice pack on his knee, and the Ohio State offense started showing cracks.

“That’s the mentality and that’s my fault,” Meyer said of thinking he could give Mewhort a rest.

While Mewhort was out in the second quarter, the Buckeyes weren’t the same. When he came back into the game in the third quarter, they started to regain their footing. Meyer learned a lesson. And Mewhort proved how vital he is as Ohio State moved on with a 60-35 win.

“He’s our emotional leader. Having a guy like him off the field, it’s tough to get somebody to replace him,” Brown said.

On a day when the Buckeyes were short several players, the loss of Mewhort, even for a few series, was maybe the injury they could least afford.

“(It’s) devastating,” Meyer said. “He’s not just a pretty good player, he’s the man. He’s the rally point, the leader.”

After Mewhort’s replacement, Darryl Baldwin, was beaten for a 13-yard sack on Braxton Miller with the Buckeyes up 28-0, Baldwin looked upset with himself as he came to the sideline, where Mewhort and offensive line coach Ed Warinner talked to him. On the next play, Illinois’ V’Angelo Bentley returned a punt 67 yards for the Illini’s first points. That was the beginning of an 11-minute stretch where Illinois outscored Ohio State 21-7. Baldwin did seal his man and allow Carlos Hyde around the left edge for the one OSU score in there.

View full sizeOhio State left tackle Jack Mewhort and his annual celebration with the Illibuck wooden turtle trophy after the Buckeyes beat Illinois 60-35 on Saturday.Jeff Haynes, Associated Press

By the next OSU touchdown, a 1-yard Hyde run with four minutes left in the third quarter, Mewhort was back.

Meyer wasn’t messing around anymore. He understood what had to be done, and who was capable of doing it. Mewhort’s true value had been established.

And then the senior captain grabbed the Illibuck turtle trophy during the postgame, as he’s done in years past after wins over Illinois, and raised the wooden terrapin above his head like he was hoisting the Holy Grail.

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